The Motions of Loss
by KeyofAce
Summary: Lucy attempts to repair a heartbroken Gray when he is left shattered by the actions of Juvia. Gruvia/GraLu. Slight AU
1. Chapter 1

Hello all.

I'm back with something that struck me and I decided I had to write it. Only the plot in this story is mine, the rest belongs to Hiro Mashima and TV Tokyo, please support the official release.

Enjoy!

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><p>He was a ghost, that much she could tell. He was barely himself, spending all his time in his apartment, living off of his savings and eating next to nothing. He was a ghost, a ghost of his former self, the cockshore, dark haired, handsome self and seeing him like that killed her. He didn't eat, barely slept as far as she could tell and almost never left his bed. He barely made it through the motions.<p>

"She is gone Luce. She is just… gone." Gray said as he lay in bed, a blanket pulled up to his chin.

"I know Gray, I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry." Lucy replied, rubbing his back. The ice-mage was cold, not cool like he usually felt whenever she touched him, but cold, as if his skin was the snow. But he didn't shiver, sniffle, or sneeze. No Gray Fullbuster was sick in a different way, he was depressed, shattered. The cause of this illness was a water mage named Juvia Lockser, the woman Gray truly loved, and the woman who had broken his heart.

"You really need to eat Gray; Mira made you your favourite shaved ice with extra powdered snow. Not to mention that everyone at the guild misses you; they all want you to come back and at least visit, to at least show them that you are ok."

"What's the point? They all have better shit on their minds than the frozen heart of a broken ice-mage. The bed is enough for me, at least I think so. How do I even show them I'm ok, I'm not ok Luce."

"Come on Gray, they all love and miss you, even Natsu. Nobody but me has seen you in the last two weeks and that's only because you let me bring you food twice a week. I mean for the Spirit King's sake you should at least go on a mission to clear your mind."

"I don't feel like it Luce, how… how could she do that? After everything she said? That isn't like her at… no maybe it is what she really is like in the end. I won't deny that I am good looking, Nothin' like Loke or those Blue Pegasus wimps, but I never thought she was so shallow to be done with me after a year because I had stopped being the flavour of the month. I thought she genuinely loved me, I should have noticed the signs. She quit complementing me, lost sexual interest I think too, and I know I'm pretty good at that, trust me. Shit she would barely talk to me by the end of it."

"Gray that's not it and you know it, Juvia loved you. She decided to go travelling for a while and while it was wrong, she decided she needed someone with her physically, I'm sorry Gray, and I'm sorry you walked onto what you did."

"She was kissing that fuck, kissing him while he had his hand up her dress or whatever. If she hadn't have stopped me I would have killed him. I swear Luce, I would have done it, slowly, and I would have enjoyed it too. I beat him good though, I don't think he has much of a face left." Gray clenched his fists, chilling the air unintentionally.

"Gray… I'm so sorry. I really am. I don't know what to say, I really don't." Lucy looked at the ground, feeling like crying for her friend. He grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes, a shadow of his old self returning.

"Luce it really isn't your fault, so quit apologizing."

"I know, I know, but you're so… different now Gray, not the Gray any of us know, I haven't seen you strip even once since this happened. That is unnatural!" She sighed.

And that's when he chuckled, he actually chuckled. For the first time in two weeks his face cracked a grin and Lucy felt a weight lift off her shoulders. He let go of her hand and she was sure she could feel it linger, she was sure she could feel a trace of longing for the touch of a friend. But that wouldn't be right; after all while she doubted she could call Juvia a friend, she would still not cross that boundary, even for Gray's sake. He needed space.

She made a motion to get up, to pass him the meal that Mirajane had prepared and then go out on what she would consider to be almost awkward but still friendly terms. Searching around his apartment for the cutlery she realised just how sparse it was, the bare necessities were there, that much was certain but where were the touches that made that apartment a home. It felt like a laboratory, white, and crisp, and clean. There were no dropped jackets or misplaced pairs of pants. No, this apartment had a distinctly un-Gray like feel. It felt like nobody had lived there for months.

She grabbed a spoon and forced the shaved ice into the ice-mage's hands. He would eat and that was that. She would stay and make sure he finished every last piece of frozen and sugared water. Gray took a reluctant bite of the ice, he had to hand it to Mira, she was damn good at making any culinary delight. It tasted delicious. By the end of the meal Gray had a small and content smile on his face, sucking on the spoon to take in as much of the sugary flavour as he could.

"Well I think that proves that Mira is the greatest chef in history." Gray smiled, naturally Lucy saw through the forced gesture, but at the very least he was fake smiling, better than the forlorn and stone set look he had been wearing the last times she had seen him. Gray had settled for looking out the window at the cloudy sky, probably thinking of Juvia as far as Lucy could tell. She decided to leave him be, leave him to his thoughts, and leave him to the healing process. Pulling her coat on she opened the door and for a second hesitated, something Gray did not miss.

"Luce… Will you, you know?" He asked, unsure of himself.

"Yes Gray, I'll be here tomorrow, I promise." She smiled and wrapped herself tighter in her coat, zipping it up so she would stay warm.

"Thanks Luce, I'll see you then."

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><p>Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed,<p>

KeyofAce


	2. Chapter 2

Hello all, chapter two is here and I hope you enjoy it. I plan to continue this story for a little while, having maybe three more chapters after this. I should also mention that I adore Juvia, I really do, I just wanted to try something new. Furthermore Gruvia is my OTP.

Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima and TV Tokyo, enjoy.

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><p>"Gray, eat." Lucy commanded, leaning over him in her best angry mother pose.<p>

"Lucy, I am fine, believe me." Gray replied, looking away from her.

And he was fine, to a certain extent. He was physically a little weaker than before but for the most part he had well surpassed the average human. He was one of Fairy Tail's most powerful mages with his Devil Slaying magic and he had been eating every day Lucy had visited him, which was now every day because the Celestial Spirit mage knew he wouldn't otherwise. Gray didn't feel like training, mentally wasn't prepared to return to his old self, but you could still see his body was in prime condition, just not where he liked to keep it. Lucy could tell there was a change in the ice mage, it wasn't much, but he was out of his bed lately, moving around and even helping Lucy cook for him, Lucy couldn't believe that he hadn't once used his stove! She actually went out and bought him a bunch of pots and pans so he could actually make something at home. When Gray insisted that he had a great freezer, Lucy insisted that ice and sugar wasn't a meal and wondered how he survived with such few nutrients.

"Mira usually slips in dietary supplements or makes me eat a proper meal before she will make me shaved ice, not that I mind, she makes great food, don't you think?" Gray explained.

"Hey I'm not so bad, don't you think?" Lucy asked, fishing for a compliment on her cooking. Gray picked at his risotto a bit and looked at her.

"You don't suck too badly, it tastes pretty alright!" Gray grinned, thinking she would be happy. She twitched and threw a cup at his head.

"What the hell Luce?" Gray asked, rubbing his now sore forehead.

"If my cooking is so bad you can cook for yourself." She huffed.

"I bet I can cook you a delicious meal fit for a king, or in your case a princess, right Princess?"

"What happens if I you can't?"

"You decide, I don't care."

"Alright then Gray, here's the deal; I don't like what you cook, then you have to come out of your apartment and visit the guild." She gave him a coy smile. His eyes narrowed.

"What do I get?"

"What do you want?"

"I can ask for anything?"

"Within reason."

"Ok, if I win you have to do a job for me, a big one, I'm running out of money."

"Alright Fullbuster, put your money where your mouth is."

She was surprised when he got up and started digging through his fridge, pulling out a bunch of ingredients and the a few pots to go with them. Ice making a knife he began to dice through the vegetables and meat with a speed that would make Jellal dizzy. When he finished with that he filled a pot with water and set it to boil. Turning around to flash an arrogant grin at Lucy, he began to fill the pot with the diced meat as it began to boil. In a larger pot he put a packet of pasta and let it cook. Finishing his bolognaise sauce in time for the pasta to finish cooking, he threw the cooked vegetables into the pasta and masterfully mixed the sauce through it. Ice making a cheese grater he dropped a group of cheese chunks through the grater. Making the ice creation spin the cheese fell all over the meal. Gray garnished the meal with basil and placed in gently in front of Lucy, grinning smugly.

"Wow Gray, that looks delicious, I hope it isn't." She playfully glared at him and took a bite. Lucy prided herself on self-control but she couldn't help but moan in appreciation of the delicate blend of flavours and the way the sauce and vegetables complimented the pasta flavour.

"So I guess that means you liked it." Gray laughed.

"Just a bit… How did you learn to cook like that?" Lucy asked and Gray stopped laughing, "Gray? Are you ok?"

"Yeah I am fine, Ur taught me mostly, Juvia… she taught me the rest." He trailed off.

"Oh dear Gray, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I'll go." Gray caught her hand before she could go.

"No, Luce, it's fine, please stay and finish your meal," He smiled at her, "It's better when you're here."

Lucy nodded, she thought better of saying anything, or rather she didn't need to say anything. She understood what Gray meant. She didn't know how it happened but he was relying on her and that made her happy. She was used to relying on him or Natsu or Erza, the strong members of Team Natsu, but now Gray needed her more than anyone. So she showed her appreciation by eating her meal as quickly as a lady should eat her meal while he began to clean up. She may not live in a mansion anymore but Lucy Heartphilia would be damned if she ever at like some of her friends and guild mates. As she finished her food Gray handed her a glass of water she assumed he chilled and an after dinner mint. Lucy graciously accepted the items and washed back her dinner, popping the mint into her mouth so her breath smelled fresh like she had just brushed it. Gray himself settled down on his basic couch, comfortable to say the least but not flashy by any merit and rested with his eyes shut. Lucy smiled at him, he seemed withdrawn but at the very least he was more Gray than she had seen him lately. And whether or not it was intentional, he wasn't wearing the jacket from earlier.

"Hey Gray do you want some coffee?" Lucy hummed.

"Sure, thanks Luce." Gray replied sheepishly.

Lucy filled the kettle and turned it on before flipping through the sparsely filled bookshelf in his living room. A large photo album stood out to her and she flipped through it. There were plenty of photos of Team Natsu, one of Gray and Laxus sharing a beer, a few of Gray and Cana as kids, the only photo she thought existed of Gray and Natsu smiling next to each other. There she and Gray were, there was Ultear, the Strauss siblings, even Gajeel. Everyone but Juvia she thought.

"Wondering where the Juvia photos are?" He called to her sluggishly.

"No, I know that they aren't here for a reason. I'm sorry Gray; I know it still guts you whenever you even think of her." Lucy looked back at him to see he still faced away from her, probably with his eyes closed and deep in thought.

"Yeah it does. It hurts like hell, but I think I'm starting to come to terms with it, at least a little."

"Gray…" she moved to finish making his coffee.

"Lucy, trust me, and don't think just because we have had a meaningful exchange that I have forgotten about the bet, you owe me a completed expensive job." He smiled, eyes still closed in a state of pseudo relaxation.

"Yes, I know, I'll go look for one tomorrow, I promise. I guess that is goodnight Gray, she said handing him the steaming hot glass which started to frost. _I guess Gray likes iced coffee, no surprises there_. He pulled the cup to his lip and downed it in a few seconds, finishing it just as she got to the door.

"Goodnight Gray. I'll do your job tomorrow, try to relax and forget her. Anyone who would do that to you doesn't deserve you or your regret." And with that Lucy walked out the door into the crisp air. Walking Magnolia's streets at night was always pretty safe but to be sure Lucy fingered her keys, finding comfort in their power. By the time she finally made it home she fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed, dreaming of all of tomorrow's possibilities.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all, Ace here with chapter three. The plot thickens.

Emerald Flashes: Thank you very much for your kind words reviewing! Trust me Gruvia is my OTP, and I love where it is right now, it's nice that she practically has Silver's blessing too don't you think? I hope you enjoy the rest of this story!

As always I do not own any of the characters or world in this story, only the plot is mine own. Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima and TV Tokyo.

Read and Enjoy!

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><p>The sun poured through the Lucy's curtains and landed on her face waking her up bright and early. Lucy woke up with the sun because she didn't need an alarm clock. Stretching out she climbed out of her bed and stripped off as she jumped into the shower, getting a cold shock before the water began to warm up. Drying off after her relaxing shower Lucy got dressed and fixed her keys to her belt and looped her whip into its holster. Today was the day she would make good on her bet. She would head to the guild, pick a high level mission and complete it so she could give Gray what he had won, a lot of jewels.<p>

Lucy could hear the roar of the guild well before she ever got to the front doors, and when she entered it she was bombarded with the smell of cooking food, rum, and the air freshener Mira really seemed to love. Mira waved at her and Lucy returned it with a smile, heading over to the bar quickly so as to get something to eat before her big day. Mira already had a smoothie ready for her and she slid it across the bar.

"Good morning Lucy, what would you like to eat?" Mira asked in her usual sing song voice, melodious and sweet.

"I think today I will have toast and butter." Lucy replied, smiling.

"You're in a good mood today Lucy, did things go well with Gray last night?" Mira asked mischievously as only she would. Lucy nearly spat out her drink.

"No! No! Nothing like that I swear. I lost a bet with him and today I have to go on a mission and bring him the reward money."

"I see, what bet was this, anything that a lady should not have taken part in?" Mira seemed to be set on the idea that her and Gray had done something inappropriate.

"No of course not, Gray called out my cooking and I asked him if he could do better, and he did. He might be as good as you Mira, well no that's a stretch, but he _is_ good."

"I may just need to ask for his help one of these days, I do like to take breaks now and then." Mira hummed, "How is he?"

"He is doing better but it's not been that long since it happened so he will need more time to come back to the dashing Gray we all know and love." Said Lucy as she bit into her toast.

"You find him dashing?" Mira smirked, an idea popping into her head; she only hoped Gray would be ready for it.

"You know what I mean Mira, he isn't him anymore. The other day I touched him and he was actually cold. Not cool like he normally is, but cold, as if he was sick. And he barely makes quips anymore; I think if Natsu straight up punched him in the throat he would take it and walk away. She destroyed him."

"That is such a shame; I really thought more of Juvia. You needed a job didn't you Lucy?" Mira asked, putting her plans into motion.

"Yes, I did, what do you have in the six figure reward category?" Lucy asked, finishing her food.

"Actually I have one that should be right up your alley, how do you feel about treasure retrieval?"

"Sounds good, I'll sign off on it now. Do you know where Natsu or Erza are?"

"They left early this morning, they would have taken you but they said Gray needed you more so off they went."

"Well I guess that's that, I'll be off now then Mira. Goodbye." Lucy waved whilst Mira chuckled cheekily.

It didn't take Lucy long to reach the train station and she was off to her mission within the hour. Time seemed to melt by as she lazily sat on the train reading the newest issue of Sorcerer Magazine, this one all about that guild Sabertooth. Lucy actually liked this issue, it talked about how they were weaker than Fairy Tail so what was not to like? It was both nice and lonely to be doing a mission by herself. Yes there was the peace of not having to listen to Natsu almost vomit or bicker with Gray but at the very least she missed the company. After finishing her magazine she realised she had probably two hours of nothing but dull fields to look at. She envied Laxus for always having music.

The drab fields and ambient noise of the carriage eventually lulled Lucy off to a gentle, dreamless sleep, and time passed by unnoticed by her. She didn't awake until the conductor tapped her on the shoulder a few times to alert her to the fact that she had arrived at her destination. Stepping off of the train Lucy headed to the nearest magical carriage rental, as her mission made her head to a farm house. "Orchard Farm" was not a farm she had ever really heard of before so she assumed that the treasure she was going to find was probably not worth all that much, even though the mission she was given was rewarded with two hundred thousand jewels.

The carriage ride was a lazy one, hoping not to deplete too much magical power Lucy kept the speed at a brisk but relaxed pace. The treasure wasn't going anywhere as far as she knew. Actually all she knew was that she was going to this farm for a treasure, what the treasure was though she wasn't sure, nor was she sure on the specifics of what she was doing with this treasure. By the time she arrived at Orchard Farm it was close to dusk and she knew that she wouldn't have much time to complete the mission. Arriving at the old cottage she knocked a few times on the door and made herself look as presentable as she could. She was alarmed when the door opened just the tiniest bit and what looked like a magical shotgun was pointed at her.

"Who are you little girl? Are you one of the bandits? I swear I'll shoot you right now if you don't give me some identification!" The visibly terrified old farmer demanded.

"Wait, wait! I am from Fairy Tail. My name is Lucy Heartfilia, I'm here to accept and complete the job you sent into our guild." She said quick as she could, waving her guild marked hand in front of him.

"Oh, please excuse that little display," he chuckled as his whole demeanour lightened, "please come on in, my wife has just finished dinner and she is a great cook."

"Oh ok, sounds good." Lucy beamed; glad she didn't have a hole in her chest as big as Tenrou Island.

The cottage was small but very cute Lucy thought, the kind of place that she would like to raise a family in, and due to the pictures she could tell that this was a family home. She guessed that this middle aged couple had a few sons and one daughter, probably off somewhere else in the world doing something that isn't farming. Lucy followed the farmer into the kitchen where his wife, a kindly lady who still had streaks of auburn hair, had prepared three plates, one for her, her husband, and Lucy.

"You are a cute one dear, isn't she cut Al?" The wife asked her husband.

"Yes she is a catch Betty; I'm surprised a pretty young girl like you would take such a dangerous job. I'm a little scared for you to be honest, do you know what you are getting into?" he asked, a worried tone on his voice.

"Don't worry about me; I'm a lot tougher than I look. I wouldn't be in Fairy Tail if I wasn't." Lucy replied.

"So you are capable of defeating a dark guild and protecting our treasure at the same time?" Betty asked her, a politely eager tone in her voice.

"I'm sorry? I was led to believe that I would be retrieving a treasure? Now I am single handedly going to war against a dark guild?" Lucy began to worry, was she really up to the task?

"Oh my, was the paper not clear enough? That is our fault. We can pay for your trip back if you need to decline our request. We understand if you are not strong enough." Betty hurriedly explained.

Lucy was hesitant. To be honest she did have a lot of experience going up against dark guilds, it was practically her team's bread and butter. The problem was she was alone; her team wasn't with her which meant that she wasn't sure that she could complete the entire mission single handedly. If only she had Erza or Natsu with her… or Gray. Just one of them would be enough to help her in the mission. What would they do if they were her? Natsu would go after the dark guild immediately because he would find it fun, Erza would destroy them as an advocate of justice, Gray would reluctantly do it considering he had accepted the job anyway. Wendy would be scared but that girl had determination in spades. Which left her, what would Lucy do?

"I'll take the job and I'll complete it myself. This won't be a problem." She decided with a determined smile painted on her face. She was not going to back down.

"Wonderful!" the couple exclaimed in unison, their prayers answered.

"So fill me in on the details a little more thoroughly if you could?" Lucy asked.

"It started out a few weeks ago. I was digging the grounds up to lay the foundations for a new Lacrima processor. The reason we can afford to offer such a large reward is because despite the small size of this farm we happen to be able to create some of the highest quality Lacrima ingredients. We sell them to most magical companies in Fiore and make a substantial profit; the entire industry around here depends on us. When I began to dig I discovered a well of magical energy concentrated into some of the most powerful Lacrima available; Dragon Lacrima. Somehow knowledge of this well got out and now a dark guild is after us. We have a buyer on his way to collect the Lacrima but it is only a matter of time before this guild sends more than a bunch of petty thieves after us. We have been told the buyer will be here in five days but we'd have to be foolish to think the Dark Guild won't try anything. That's why we contacted Fairy Tail; is there anything else you want to know?" Al finished explaining.

"The name of the guild. Is it famous?" Lucy inquired, a stern expression on her face.

"It doesn't seem to be all that famous, but it means business. They go by the name of "Straw Hate" and so far we have beaten back an attack by one of them. He was a rather wimpy fellow but damn good with his sniper magic." Al replied.

"I see, and I am likely to face all of them?"

"Yes, most likely, we would like to offer you our hospitality here for the time, and if you would like we will send a request for backup to Fairy Tail for you?"

"Please do, if I am lucky I will get someone strong like my team or Laxus."

"We hope so, for both our sakes. Come, I'll show you to your room so you can get unpacked. You'll be staying in our daughter's old room. I hope it's nice enough for a big city girl like you." Betty smiled at Lucy, taking her hand and ushering her into a comfortable room that due to the lettering above the bed belonged to a girl called Annie.

"The two of us are going to head to bed now, if there is anything you want or need help yourself or wake one of us, you're really helping us out here." Betty rubbed Lucy's hand soothingly, conveying her gratitude through the warm strokes, like a loving grandmother, before leaving Lucy to unpack her things and climb into the comfortable and large bed.

Lucy pondered a little while on how she would do at this job. If an old man was capable of stopping one of their members then maybe she would be strong enough to defeat them all. If she was lucky some heavy backup would show up and she would have an even better chance, although her reward would be cut into a smaller amount so Gray would have to deal with that. Gray wouldn't care though, she knew he would be more concerned about her safety, and if there was no excess damage she would come out with a six figure pay check anyway if only one person came to help her. She really hoped it was someone sensible like Freed or Laxus…

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><p>I hoped you enjoyed.<p> 


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